Trump Threatens to Take Back Panama Canal Control

President-elect Donald Trump is threatening to reassert U.S. control over the Panama Canal. Farmdoc says he accused Panama of charging excessive rates to use the passage, which drew a sharp rebuke from Panama’s president.

Speaking to supporters in Arizona, Trump also said he wouldn’t let the Canal fall into the wrong hands, warning of potential Chinese influence on the passage.

Reaction from South American experts says Trump’s stance is “baffling” as Panama’s president is considered to be a pro-business conservative who’s made a lot of overtures to show he wants a special relationship with the U.S.

According to the Associated Press, Panama celebrated the 25th anniversary of the U.S. handover of the canal on Tuesday and observed a moment of silence for the recently deceased President Jimmy Carter, who reached the deal for the handover in 1999.

“The Panama Canal is a critical choke point for U.S. agriculture and the overall U.S. economy,” says Dennis Rudat of Farm News Media.

“Seventy-two percent of all cargo transiting the Panama Canal is either coming or going to the U.S., including a substantial portion of U.S. agricultural exports,” says Farm Bureau’s Betty Resnick.

On Truth Social, Trump continues to post about the Panama Canal after his initial posts back on Dec. 21 that you can see below.

Source: NAFB News Service